Lonely Nights
by Kelby
Summary: Post RENT. A new MarkM relationship! But who's M?
1. Default Chapter

A/N This is an original spin on the whole M/M relationship. Hope you like it.  
  
Lonely Nights  
  
  
  
"Well fine then!" Mark said into the phone. "I guess that's it, because that's how it is!" He paused to listen for a moment. "Yeah, me to. Bye." He hung up the phone and flopped down on the couch next to Mimi who was reading a magazine.  
  
"What was that?" Roger asked walking out of his room, pulling a shirt on over his head.  
  
"That was Jessica. Or should I say the end of yet another of my doomed relationships."  
  
"Oh." Roger was sort of sorry he asked.  
  
"You okay sweetie?" Mimi asked, putting down her magazine.  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"So you two are all over? Like completely? Why did you break up?"  
  
"I don't know." He looked up at Roger. "Because she had 'hoped I would have grown up by now' and 'decided to get my life together' and she didn't see me as 'marriage material' and she thought we shouldn't waste anymore of our time with each other if that wasn't our end goal or some stupid crap like that. I don't know. I don't really care."  
  
Mimi didn't believe that. She scooted closer to Mark on the couch. "I'm sorry sweetie. Are you gonna be alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm more upset about getting dumped again than getting dumped by Jessica." He let out a long sigh. "Meems if you went out with me would you dump me on my ass."  
  
"Never!" She laughed. "You're too much of a cutie! As a matter a fact you're the sweetest, cutest guy I know."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Oh relax!" She told Roger then turned back to Mark. "That is off course with the exception of Roger."  
  
"Of course." Mark gave a small laugh.  
  
"That's better." Roger told them as he reached over the back of the couch and tickled Mimi.  
  
"Well if I'm such a great guy, why do I keep getting dumped?"  
  
"You don't keep getting dumped." Roger told him, climbing over the back of the couch and sitting on the other side of Mimi. "You've only been really dumped twice now. Maureen and now Jessica. The rest of them you just sort of broke up with."  
  
"What's the difference?" Mark asked skeptically.  
  
"It's different."  
  
"Roger's right. It's different."  
  
"How?" He looked over at Roger.  
  
"Well, the other ones, you just sort of stopped seeing. Or stuff happened. And some of them were real casual girlfriends."  
  
"Whatever." Mark told him. "I think I'm just cursed."  
  
"No you're not. You just need a change. You always date the same type of women." Mimi proclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, bitchie ones." Roger added. "And pain in the ass ones. And--"  
  
"Don't get offended," Mark cut him off, "but I don't know if taking dating advice from either of you two is such a good idea." He told them.  
  
"He has a point." Mimi giggled at Roger.  
  
"Whatever." Roger grinned at Mimi. "But you should go out. Have some fun tonight. Get drunk off your ass."  
  
"Roger's right. Get dressed. You'll come out with us." Mimi pulled on his arm as she looked to Roger.  
  
He was about to protest, but decided against it. "She's right. Come out with us."  
  
"That's okay. Thanks though."  
  
Roger moved up onto the arm of the couch. "Come on. It'll be fun. Take your mind off all this stuff. Maybe hook you up." He grinned.  
  
"Yeah come on Marky. Please?" Mimi begged. "At least for a little while."  
  
Mark knew it was a losing battle. It would be easier to just give in. If he didn't, Mimi would keep it up and either make Roger make him, or drive Roger crazy till Roger made him on his own. "Okay, just for a little while. I'll go to the bar, but I'm not going to the club after."  
  
"Okay, that's fair." Mimi smiled triumphantly. "And who knows, maybe we'll find someone for you at the bar."  
  
"Please don't either of you do me any favors like that. Please!" He gave a small laugh as he got up to change.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
After two hours, Mark had had enough "fun." Mimi had managed to get a few drinks down his throat. Mainly to make it easier for her to attempt to drag him over to every girl at the bar and introduce him. Finally, seeing his pain, Roger convinced her to let him go home.  
  
"Okay, but were not done with this. We're going to find you a nice girl yet."  
  
"Oh god," Roger groaned, "she's on a mission now! You are so doomed." He smiled as he put his arms around Mimi and kissed the top of her head. "But you get a reprieve for tonight at least."  
  
"Great. I'll see you guys later." Mark left and walked home. It was only about eleven o'clock when he got home. Too early to go to bed. Not that he could have slept anyway. Might as well finish getting drunk and watch a movie. He had been drinking rum and cokes at the bar, and Roger had just bought a new bottle of rum. He got it out of the cupboard and was just getting the coke out of the fridge when he heard the knock at the door.  
  
Mark opened the door. When he saw who was standing in the hallway, he knew the shock and surprise he felt was definitely showing on his face. "Um, hi."  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here, but, I didn't know where else to look. I'm sorry. I should go."  
  
Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. He could tell she had been crying. "No wait. What's wrong. I mean, come on in. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes. No. I'm sorry Mark. I shouldn't have bothered you." She turned to go back down the stairs.  
  
"Alison, wait." He reached for her arm and pulled her into the apartment. "It's okay. Really. Come on in."  
  
Hesitantly she stepped into the apartment. Her eyes flew around the room. It had been a long time since she had been inside here. Years actually. "Are you, um, alone?"  
  
"Yeah, nobody's home but me. Come on in and sit down. I was just gonna make a drink. Sit down, I'll make you one."  
  
Silently she sat down on the couch. A moment later Mark walked over and handed her a glass. "Wow, Alison. I can't believe you're here. I haven't seen you in, well, a long time. How are you? Oh, stupid question. Sorry."  
  
"It's okay." She said softly.  
  
"What's going on? What's wrong?"  
  
"I, I can't find Benny." She sighed. "It's been almost two days since our last fight. He stormed out. I don't know where he is."  
  
"Oh. Wow. Well, I haven't seen him. Actually not for months. Besides, this is just about the last place I would expect him to come."  
  
"I know, I, I'm sorry, I should go." She stood up.  
  
"No wait, don't leave. You should stay for awhile. Till you're not so upset to drive and all." He pulled her back down to the couch. "Why did you think he'd be here?"  
  
"Honestly, I didn't really think I'd find him here. At least here with you guys. I just needed to know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask this. I should go."  
  
"It's okay. Really. Ask what?"  
  
Her eyes went down to her lap as she sighed again. "I knew I wouldn't find Benny here. But was hoping to find, or at least to ask.if she. if you knew if they." She trailed off.  
  
"Who?" He looked at her confused for a second before the realization of it hit him. She hadn't come here looking to find Benny, she had come here looking to find Mimi. "Oh."  
  
"I'm sorry." She stood up again. "I should really go."  
  
"No really, it's okay. And Mimi's not here. She and Roger are out. And I know for a fact she has not talked to Benny. Not in a really long time."  
  
"Oh. Well I guess that's good. For them at least. And I guess I feel better knowing he's at least not cheating on me with the same person again. However I guess it means now he's cheating on me with someone new." She started to sob.  
  
Oh crap. Mark hated when girls started to cry. He didn't really know what to do. "Alison, don't cry please. It'll be okay." He reached over and put an arm around her.  
  
"I just, it's just the same old thing." She sobbed. "I don't know why he does it. I don't know why I put up with it." She wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry Mark. I shouldn't be bothering you with all this. I'm probably one of the last people you or your friends want to deal with. I should go."  
  
"No, really, it's okay." He looked at her for a second. "And if you remember, you used to be one of my friends too." He gave her a small smile.  
  
"Yeah, before Benny made you guys hate us."  
  
"Not both of you, just him. And only at times." He grinned. "Okay, me and Collins at times, Roger all the time, but that's besides the point."  
  
She gave a small laugh and drank back some of her drink. "How is Collins?"  
  
"He's good. Teaching honors philosophy. Seems to really enjoy it. It's one of those classes you choose to take as opposed to have to take. It seems to make a difference in his students." He could tell they were both starting to relax.  
  
"And Mo? She still crazy as ever?"  
  
"More so. You know Mo. If it's not some strange out there idea, she doesn't want anything to do with it. I don't know how her girlfriend puts up with her." He laughed and so did she.  
  
"Ewww. That's right, the girlfriend. Sorry, I forgot about that." She gave a shy smile.  
  
"It's okay. We're friends. All three of us. Roger says our relationship is strange and twisted and we all need help." He laughed again. Mark never expected to feel this good tonight.  
  
"How is Roger? How is he doing?"  
  
"He's doing good. For Roger, real good. He's playing a lot. And writing. And he's got Mimi. They are good together. Good for each other. It's made a big difference in him."  
  
"That's good. I'm happy for him. How are you doing? Still filming?"  
  
"Yeah. Still not selling much, so as usual, I'm broke."  
  
"But are you making things you're proud of?"  
  
Mark could tell they had moved somewhat beyond small talk. Usually he didn't like talking about his films. Especially because he never really seemed to be able to sell anything. And no one had ever really asked him that question before. Asked anything like that before and seemed to genuinely want to know. "Yeah. Real proud of some of them." He smiled.  
  
"I'd like to see them some time."  
  
"Sure." He looked at her for a moment. "You know, I think this is about one of the longest conversations we have ever had."  
  
"That's because Benny didn't want me talking to you guys. He didn't like me staying here. Didn't really want me getting to know you all. I don't know why." She shook her head.  
  
"I do. He didn't want you to think he was anything like us. You know, destitute bohemians. No goals, no future, no vision of the kind of money we could make."  
  
"I kind of always like the kind of vision you all had." She said softly as her eyes dropped back down to her glass. "I'm sorry Mark. For everything that happened. Everything that Benny did to you guys. I didn't really know what was going on over here. He didn't really tell me. For obvious reasons of course, but what he did to you guys was wrong, and I'm sorry."  
  
He could hear the shame in her voice. He lifted up her chin so she would look him in the eyes. "Hey, none of that was your fault. I mean of course you didn't know what was going on. Benny had his girlfriend living here. He wasn't going to tell you anything about what was going on over here. We never blamed you." Well, I never blamed you, and various guitar playing other people just tended to lump you together, but we won't go into that. "Really."  
  
"Thanks." She sighed again as she stood up. "I should go home. I don't have anywhere else to look for Benny. I guess I just have to give up."  
  
Mark felt bad for her, but didn't know what to say that could possibly make any of it any better. "Um, wait, do you want to maybe hang out here for awhile? Maybe watch a movie? Just until you maybe feel a little better before you drive home?"  
  
"I don't know. I've already bothered you enough Mark."  
  
"No, really, it's okay. Beside I could use the company tonight." He looked up at her. "We both probably could."  
  
"Okay, for a little while I guess." She sat back down on the couch as Mark pulled out a film for them to watch.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*  
  
  
  
"Wow Mark that was really good."  
  
"That was really depressing." He said pouring the last of the rum bottle into their two glasses.  
  
"Maybe a little. Tonight probably wasn't the best night for me to watch something on failed relationships."  
  
"Me either." He agreed, leaning his head back on the back of the couch. I'm drunk he told himself. Tomorrow may not be a nice day.  
  
"Mark?" She asked quietly, still looking at the TV. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"What's wrong with me? How could I have fallen in love with someone that treats me like he does? And stay with him as long as I have? What's wrong with me that makes him think this is okay to do?" She started sobbing again.  
  
Mark reached over and hugged her tight. "Nothing is wrong with you. He's an ass, but nothing is wrong with you. You're great. You always have been." That was true. He had always liked Alison.  
  
"Something must be wrong with me."  
  
"No, it's not you. Really."  
  
"But."  
  
Mark heard her protest, and before he even thought about it, he just leaned in and kissed her.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N Okay, kudos to anyone who guessed Mark/M was Mark and Muffy from the beginning! Someone (who only identifies themselves as ".") reviewed my other story, Another Second Chance and gave me the idea. Thanks to them for that. I've never really hated Alison as so many people do. I always had the feeling it was all Benny. Anyway, in that same story, everyone is after me to hook Mark up with someone, and this all just came together. I think it's a rather original spin on the Mark and any other character relationship. At least I haven't seen any Mark/Alison stories yet.  
  
Anyway, review and give me your thoughts!  
  
~~Thanks! 


	2. 2

A/N Thank you to everyone that has reviewed both this and my other stories. Again I tell you, you don't know how wonderful that is to me. Keep enjoying.  
  
Chapter 2  
Mark laid back on the pillow. He couldn't believe they had just done that. Them. Him and Alison. Benny's wife. What do I do now? "So, um, wow."  
  
"Yeah." She said softly.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"No, it's not you, or that. It's just, it's the first time I ever cheated on him. Ever. Even after everything."  
  
"Wow. Yeah, it's the first time I ever slept with someone who's married."  
  
"I don't know if you could really call me married. Not for awhile now. Not with our marriage." She said sadly.  
  
Mark put an arm around her and pulled her against his bare chest. "So um, what happens now?"  
  
"I don't know. I can't think that far ahead right now. You understand don't you? I just don't know. Things in my life are very screwed up right now."  
  
"I know. It's alright." He kissed her shoulder. They laid there in the dark for awhile, Mark just holding her. It was nice. Weird, but nice. Never in a million years would he ever have pictured himself in bed with Alison. Benny's wife Alison. Wow.  
  
"I should go."  
  
"You don't have to. You could stay here."  
  
"No, I should, what was that?"  
  
Mark listened for a second. "That's just Roger and Mimi coming home."  
  
"Oh god!" She sat up in the bed, pulling the sheets up to cover herself.  
  
"Relax. Give them fifteen minutes and they'll both be either asleep or so otherwise occupied, they'll never know you're even here."  
  
"Oh." She laid there, letting him run his fingers over her skin. Listening to Roger and Mimi move around the apartment. Finally they heard a door close.  
  
"That should be it. But you don't have to go."  
  
"Yes I do. But thank you. For everything." She got up and got dressed. "I, I'll call you Mark. Bye."  
  
Mark rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head. God tonight turned out weird.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"You want some coffee baby?" Mimi asked Roger as he walked out of the bedroom.  
  
"Yeah. Where's Mark?" He asked looking around the loft.  
  
"I think he's still asleep." She grinned.  
  
"Really?" He reached for his coffee. "He never sleeps later than me." He got a devilish grin on his face. "Hey where's that squirt gun? I owe him."  
  
"I think you need to leave him alone." She smiled at him, laughing slightly.  
  
"No, I owe him big time, and I never get a chance like this." He started digging through a drawer looking for the squirt gun.  
  
"No, I really think you need to leave him alone this morning." She laughed again.  
  
Roger looked at her. He could tell something was up. "What's going on Meems?"  
  
"Well, I think he might have a hangover."  
  
"He didn't drink that much at the bar last night." Roger told her, going back to his search.  
  
"No, but I found the bottle of rum empty on the coffee table." She started buttering toast and handed him a piece.  
  
"He drank an entire bottle of rum? Mark?" Roger asked shocked. "Have you checked to make sure he's still alive? That's an awful lot of alcohol for little old Marky." He laughed.  
  
"Um, I don't think he drank the entire bottle." She was still grinning.  
  
"That was a full bottle?"  
  
"True, but there were two glasses on the coffee table." She smiled at him before turning and digging through the refrigerator.  
  
His water gun search forgotten he just looked at her for a second. "Really? I wonder who came over. Collins?"  
  
"I don't think so." She started to walk out of the kitchen towards their room. "Collins doesn't wear that color lipstick. And neither does Maureen. Or Joanne." She grinned and walked into the room.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
The hour that Roger had to wait for Mark to get up about drove him crazy. Finally he heard Mark's door start to creak open. He was up off the couch before Mark could make it all the way out. By himself. "Good morning." He told him, glancing over his shoulder, trying to see who else was in the room.  
  
"Hey." He said slowly.  
  
"So." Roger grinned.  
  
Mark just looked at him for a second before flopping down on the couch. "Oh god, what do you know?"  
  
"Only that you had some chick back here last night. That and you drank a whole bottle of rum. So where is she?" He looked back towards the bedroom  
  
"No one's here." He closed his eyes as he rested his head on the back of the couch.  
  
"But someone was here?"  
  
"Roger leave him alone." Mimi told him as she handed Mark a cup of coffee and the aspirin bottle.  
  
"No, I want details." He bounced in the chair excitedly.  
  
"God you're worse than the girls." Mark told him.  
  
"Yeah and you never get booty calls, so spill it!"  
  
"What? Last night was not a booty call!"  
  
Mimi just laughed at both of them. "So who was here Mark?"  
  
Just then the realization of exactly who had been there last night and who was here right now and how those two groups of people were truly intertwined hit him. Ewwww. This could be really messy. "Just a girl I know. I ran into her last night. We had a few drinks. That's all."  
  
"That's all?" Roger questioned him.  
  
"Yes, that's all." He told him standing up and walking into the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
Mimi watched him walk away before turning back to Roger. "So? Was that all?" She asked him, knowing he could always tell if Mark was lying.  
  
"No, that was defiantly not all." Roger laughed.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Hello?"  
  
"Mark?"  
  
"Hey." He looked around the room at Roger and Mimi on the couch before picking up the phone and dragging it into his room. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm good. Actually real good. I've done a lot of thinking this past week. Soul searching."  
  
"That's good. I'm glad to hear that." He said as he sat down on his bed.  
  
"Um, do you want to meet me somewhere? For some dinner? I kinda needed to talk to someone."  
  
"Yeah, I can do that. When?"  
  
"How about seven? I know this great little Italian place. Not far from my office. My treat."  
  
"Sure. Where is it?"  
  
Mark got the directions and changed his clothes. When he walked out of the room Roger looked up at him form the couch.  
  
"Who was that?" He asked as Mark brought the phone back out and set it on the coffee table.  
  
"Nobody."  
  
"Right." Roger grinned at Mimi. "So um, we're gonna go get some dinner soon. You want to come with?"  
  
"I can't, I uh, gotta do something."  
  
"More like gotta do someone." Roger whispered to Mimi who giggled and shushed him. "So um, where you going Mark?"  
  
"Just to get something to eat with somebody?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Just somebody. I gotta go. I'll see you guys later." He grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Hi."  
  
"Hey." He sat down at the table.  
  
"So I ordered us a bottle of wine. I hope you like white."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's fine. So, um, how are you doing?".  
  
"Okay. All things considering."  
  
"Why? What's going on now?" Mark asked, concerned.  
  
"I, uh, told Benny I want a divorce. He moved out yesterday."  
  
"Oh. Wow. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes. I guess I just wanted to thank you."  
  
"Thank me? For what?"  
  
"For helping me find the strength to do that."  
  
"How exactly did I do that?" He asked her confused.  
  
Alison shrugged. "I always felt like there was something wrong with me. That I was the reason Benny is the way he is. That somehow, the problems in our marriage were my fault."  
  
"You couldn't really have believed that? Did you?" He reached over the table and took her hand.  
  
"Yes. I mean I know in the beginning we were both so 'career oriented.' And I'm sure that didn't help. All Benny wanted was to make more money and get farther ahead. That was why he started having so many problems with you guys. He lost his love for life and doing things just because it's what you love to do, not because it will make you rich and powerful. Unlike you guys." She smiled at him.  
  
"Oh." Mark smiled back and picked up his wineglass. "Well, here's to your future." He clinked her glass.  
  
"Thank you."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Mark quietly opened the door to the apartment. As he stepped in he saw the glow of the TV, but Roger appeared to be asleep on the couch. Mark set down his camera on the coffee table and walked over and shut off the TV.  
  
"Hey." Roger said softly. "What time is it?"  
  
"Late. Go to bed."  
  
"I couldn't sleep and Mimi was snoring. So how's your mystery girl? It is a girl right? Will you tell me that much at least?"  
  
Mark grinned. "Yes. It is a girl. Happy now?"  
  
"No." Roger pouted. "But I guess it will have to do for now. Considering for some strange reason you won't tell your best friend of about a hundred years who the mystery girl is. I mean you've been sneaking around with her for a month now, and I still don't even know her name."  
  
"Forget it, I've got a Jewish mother. Your guilt will never work on me." Mark joked back.  
  
"Yeah okay, I forgot." Roger looked around the room before his eyes settled on the coffee table. "So, um, I'm guessing you've got her on film huh?"  
  
"Yeah, a little maybe."  
  
"Now there's a movie I'd be willing to watch!" He sat up eagerly on the couch.  
  
"Go to bed Roger." Mark told him, walking into the kitchen.  
  
"Fine, I'll just have to watch it when you're not home!"  
  
"You don't understand my tape system, you'd get bored of watching pigeons, bag ladies and Maureen before you ever found her." Mark grinned.  
  
"Am I ever going to get to meet this chick?"  
  
"Yes. Someday. It's complicated." He got himself a glass of water.  
  
"What's complicated? What's the problem? We're not good enough for her?"  
  
Mark heard the hurt tone to Roger's voice and he felt bad. "No Rog, it's not that at all. It just a complicated situation right now. I don't even know what's really going on with us. It's just, just complicated. It's not you at all. I'm sorry if you thought that."  
  
"Okay. But you promise you'll tell me one of these days?"  
  
"Yeah, I promise. Really." Mark felt bad he hadn't told Roger what was going on. He just had a feeling that once Roger found out he was seeing Alison, it would open up a lot of old wounds. And right now he and Mimi were doing so good. He knew it would be easier for them all if he stopped seeing her, but he also knew that he couldn't put Roger's life and happiness above his own. Not anymore at least.  
  
"Oh I forgot to tell you. Guess who Collins ran into." Roger grinned at him.  
  
"Who?" Mark asked, drinking his water.  
  
"Benny!"  
  
Mark started choking on his water. "What?"  
  
"Yeah Benny! Are you okay?"  
  
"Fine." Mark squeaked. "Um, water went down the wrong way."  
  
"Oh. But get this," Roger grinned, "Alison kicked his sorry butt out! She told him she wants a divorce! After all his crap, she's finally dumping him on his ass!" He laughed.  
  
"Great." Mark managed to utter, somewhat unenthusiastically.  
  
"Man I would have loved to see that! Plus Benny thinks she's seeing someone. He told Collins he saw her getting into her car with some, and I quote 'pale ass white boy'. That's why she's finally doing it! Ha! Benny getting a taste of his own medicine! I hope she takes him for every cent he has."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Yeah, hopefully, this won't effect us too bad. Collins said now that she took over the ownership of this building and all, and that now we pay rent and all we should be okay. But even if it does, between me, you and Mimi, we're making enough now, if we have to move, we'd survive. Might be a little small, but it'd be okay. At least we'd most likely have more hot water."  
  
"Uh huh." Mark just nodded.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to bed. I'll see you later."  
  
"Yeah, night." Mark managed to get out.  
  
"Hey Marky?" Roger waited for Mark to look at him. "Um, I know I've been giving you a hard time and all, but I am really glad you're seeing this girl. Whoever she is."  
  
"Thanks." Mark told him as he watched Roger walk into his room. 


	3. 3

Chapter 3  
Mark leaned back against the side of the bed. Alison was leaning against him and he was feeding her a marshmallow. "Well, that was interesting. How did we end up down here?"  
  
"I don't know, but it's a good thing your mattress is only on the floor. Otherwise, that could have really hurt!" She laughed as he fed her another marshmallow. "Why do you have marshmallows in your room anyway?"  
  
"I don't know, Mimi wanted s'mores the other day. These were left over. I was eating them earlier." He shrugged.  
  
"Oh, s'mores sound good."  
  
"Sorry. We only had one chocolate bar. Besides, it's not quite the same as when you made them when you're little. Especially, when Roger's got a marshmallow stuck on a fork and is toasting it over a candle."  
  
"That must have been interesting." She laughed.  
  
"Best we could do at the time." He smiled back at her. "Of course come winter when we light the illegal wood burning stove, I guess we could toast them for real."  
  
"You guys really shouldn't be doing that. You could burn the whole place down."  
  
"Spoken like a true landlord!" He laughed at her. "It's either that or freeze."  
  
"Are you serious? I mean Benny told me you were doing that, but I thought he was kidding around. Do you really have no heat?"  
  
"Very little. I hate to break it to you, but you own a dump."  
  
"I see. We'll have to do something about that. I'm really sorry Mark. I didn't know it was that bad."  
  
"It's okay. We've survived this long." He played with her hair.  
  
"You know this place really could be great."  
  
"You're kidding right?"  
  
"No. Really. I always thought that. It has a lot of potential. It just needs to be fixed up. I loved it the first time I saw it."  
  
"Really?" He looked at her skeptically. "I never would have guessed that." A small laugh escaped his lips.  
  
"Yep. I bet you didn't know I wanted to go to art school either."  
  
"Really? What happened?"  
  
"My father. He felt I needed to go to school for business. You know, so I could get a 'real' job. Not just screw around playing with paints." She looked down at her lap. "That's what he wanted, so that's what I did. I guess I felt like I didn't have much of a choice. That's why I always envied you guys so much."  
  
"Us?" Mark laughed out loud at that. Was she crazy? She envied us? No money, no jobs, no heat us?  
  
"Yes. You did what you wanted to do. What you believed in. What you loved. Not what someone told you to do."  
  
"Wow, I never knew that."  
  
"Benny never wanted you guys to know that. When I met him, I was just getting started working with my Dad's firm. I stupidly believed I could do that during the week and live the life I wanted on the weekends. Then I met Benny. He was so much like my dad. So driven. He knew what he wanted and what it was going to take to get it. He fell in love with 'corporate' me. And it got harder and harder to break away from that."  
  
"I'm sorry." He said softly, kissing the top of her head as he intertwined their fingers.  
  
"It's okay. It was my own fault. I wasn't strong enough to stand up to either of them. I am now. It's my life now and I'm going to do what I want."  
  
"Good. What do you want to do?"  
  
"I don't know." She gave him a soft laugh.  
  
"You'll figure it out." He kissed her on the head again. "And I'll help you however I can."  
  
"Thank you." She smiled up at him. "Hey do we have any of that ice cream left?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Good!" She reached over and pulled one of Mark's shirts on before standing up and pulling on his pajama pants that had been lying on the floor as well.  
  
"Bring me a spoon too." He called to her as she walked out towards the kitchen.  
  
Alison opened the freezer and found the Ben & Jerry's Chunky Money ice cream. She grabbed two spoons from the sink and was about to walk out of the kitchen when the door to Roger's room opened and out walked Mimi.  
  
"Oh God!" Mimi exclaimed, bring her hand up to her mouth out of fright before starting to giggle. "Sorry! You just scared me. I wasn't expecting anyone to be in the kitchen." She giggled again.  
  
Alison just stood there. She knew she must have a deer in the headlights look on her face. She didn't know what to do. What to say. She wasn't prepared to see her. She knew it was a bad idea to stay here. She knew it, and now look, here she was, face to face with Mimi Marquez.  
  
"So you're Mark's mystery girl. Wow. I'm Mimi." She laughed a soft drunken laugh. "We wondered if we were ever going to meet you. Marky's kept you pretty well hidden. But you know, you look kinda familiar."  
  
"Meems?" Roger called to her from his room.  
  
"Roger! Come here! Look, this is Mark's mystery girl!" She called to him.  
  
Alison still hadn't said anything. She could hear Roger getting up and heading towards them.  
  
"So it's really good to finally meet you. Are you sure we never met before? You ever danced?"  
  
"Wow. Finally." Roger grinned as he walked into the kitchen. He was finally getting to find out about Mark's girlfriend. "Hey." He smiled at her when he suddenly realized who he was smiling at. "Holly shit!" He almost yelled.  
  
"Oh God!" Mark said as he rushed out of his room towards the kitchen in his boxers.  
  
Alison realized she was still holding the ice cream. Her hands began to shake from the situation. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to run from the room but she couldn't move.  
  
Roger's eyes went from Alison to Mark before landing on the oblivious and somewhat drunk Mimi who was still babbling on listing off places she might have recognized Alison from. "Yeah, um come on Meems, let's go to bed." He started to lead her out of the kitchen.  
  
"But, oh okay. Nice to meet you. But it's gonna make me crazy trying to figure out where I know you from." Mimi said as Roger dragged her into his room.  
  
And then they were alone. Just Mark and Alison. He looked at her and thought she was going to cry. "I'm sorry." He told her, taking the ice cream from her. "I didn't thing they were coming back tonight."  
  
"I, I have to go."  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
"Yes I do. I'm sorry. I have to go." She walked into the bedroom and found her clothes and started to get dressed.  
  
"Alison. You don't have to go."  
  
"I do. I'm sorry Mark. I have to go. I, I can't stay here. Not right now."  
  
"Why? So Roger and Mimi know. So what?"  
  
"I just can't stay here. I'm sorry. I'll call you." She kissed him on the cheek and almost raced out of the loft.  
  
"Great! Just fucking great!" Mark flung himself down on his bed. Eventually he fell asleep.  
  
**********  
  
Mark was surprised when he woke up how late he had slept. He put on his glasses and walked out into the living room. Roger was sitting on the couch playing his guitar, obviously waiting for him to get up.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey." Mark was not in the mood to have this conversation.  
  
"So.."  
  
"So what?" Mark snapped at him as he sat down on the couch.  
  
"God, bite my head off why don't you?"  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm just in a crappy mood."  
  
"So are we going to talk about this or ignore it?" Roger asked him.  
  
Mark just looked at him for a second. "What's there to talk about? I'm sleeping with Alison Coffin."  
  
"I know! Man when Collins said Benny thought she was seeing some pale ass white boy, I just never expected the pale ass white boy to be you!"  
  
"Yeah well." Mark laid his head back onto the back of the couch. "Surprise."  
  
"So she went home?"  
  
"Dah Roge, yeah, she went home. And what the hell were you doing here last night? You said you wouldn't be back till like six this morning."  
  
"Hey don't yell at me. Mimi got a little drunk a little early, and the band was lame, so we came home." He shrugged. "So you're actually sleeping with Alison? Wow."  
  
"Well I was sleeping with Alison. Whether I still am or not is yet to be determined." Mark grumbled.  
  
"Oh." Roger played with the edge of the couch for a minute. "You think she's gonna break up with you?"  
  
"I don't know." Mark sighed. "She was really freaked out when she left."  
  
"Sorry. It just sort of surprised me you know? The last person I expected was her."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." They sat there like that for a few minutes when they heard the bedroom door open and Mimi came.  
  
"Morning baby." Roger called to her.  
  
"Ugh. How could you let me drink that stuff? You're supposed to love me." She gave him a hard time while pouring herself coffee. "Hey Marky. Where's your girlfriend? I swear I know her from somewhere."  
  
Mark rolled his eyes as she continued.  
  
"She had to have danced at one point. I mean I swear she's so familiar, and I'm almost sure it's got something to do with the club."  
  
Roger got up and walked into the kitchen as Mimi was going on about the Cat Scratch Club. Mark heard him whispering to Mimi as he got up and grabbed the phone taking it to his room.  
  
"HIS WIFE!" Mimi yelled as Roger tried to shush her.  
  
Mark just slammed the door behind him as he walked into his room, flopping on his bed and dialing Alison's number.  
  
************* 


	4. 4

Chapter 4

Roger and Mimi walked through the loft door and found Mark lying on the couch. "Hey." Roger called out to him. "We brought you back food."

"Thanks." Mark mumbled. 

Mimi gave Roger a look to get him to continue. "So she's still not answering her phone?"

"No." Mark snapped at him. 

Mimi and Roger exchanged another look and Mimi took him over his food. "Here sweetie. Beef and Broccoli. Your favorite." She gave him a big smile.

"Thanks Meems." He told her quietly as he took the food and fork she held out.

Mimi couldn't take the hurt in his voice any long. He had been so happy. Just about the happiest she had ever seen him. "Sweetie Roger and I have to go out. We'll be back later."

"'Kay."

"We do? Where are we going?" Roger asked confused. 

Mimi grabbed their jackets and her purse and pushed him towards the door. "Yes, that errand we have to do. We'll be back." She called to him as she pulled the door behind her.

"Where are we going?" Roger asked, pulling on his jacket. 

"To fix this."

"Fix what? Mark? How are we going to fix this?"

"It's all my fault Roger! And I can't stand to see him like this. He was so happy with her. And now it's been over a week and she still won't even return his phone calls." 

"How is this your fault?" He asked confused, following her out onto the street. 

"Dah Roger! I used to sleep with her husband!"

"Do you have to remind me of that?" 

"You know what I mean." 

"Yes I do, and do you have to remind me off it?" He grumbled. 

"I'm sorry. But I think that's the big issue. That and the fact she probably thinks you hate her too."

"Okay, but what are we going to do?"

"We're going to talk to her. If she stopped seeing him because of us, we need to find out why. We need to tell her how miserable he is without her."

"But if she won't answer Mark's calls, what makes you think she's gonna answer when one of us calls?"

"That's why we're going over there." 

"Over where? Her place? We don't even know where she lives." He told her. 

Mimi just looked at him. She knew this was going to start a big fight, but there was nothing she could do about it. Alison hated her. And that's why she stopped seeing Mark. Because of her. So she had to at least try and fix it. If that meant Roger throwing one of his hissy fits over the whole Benny thing again so be it. If it meant it would make Mark happy again, she could deal with Roger. "I know where she lives." She said softly. 

He stopped walking and just looked at her. "What? What do you mean you know where she lives? You've been there?" He almost yelled at her. 

She let out a long sigh as she rolled her eyes. "Yes Roger, I've been there. I know where they live. Okay?"

"Oh my god! You fucked him there! Didn't you? That's how you know where he lives!"

"Yes okay? And will you please keep your voice down? The entire subway platform does not need to be in this conversation with us!" 

"No fucking way. We are not going there."

"Yes we are." She told him, hands on hips, standing her ground with her whole five feet five inches.

"No! You're not dragging me on Mimi's sexcapes tour of New York!"

"Oh for god sake Roger! Fine! Yes I slept with him there. But I also slept with him in my apartment, which you had no trouble moving your ass into at times. Or sleeping with me there when I still lived downstairs."

Roger knew she had a point, but he tried to get around it. "That was different." 

  
"No it's not! Now you listen to me Roger Davis. Stop acting like a spoiled brat and just deal with it. Because my past and your past is catching up with us, and the person that is getting hurt the most by that is Mark. Your supposed best friend. Now do you want to do something to maybe help him, or do you want to stand here and pout about it?"

"Fine!" He got on the subway train that had just pulled up. 

Mimi watched him throw himself down in the seat, ramming his fists into his jacket pockets. She hated it when he acted like this. And always over Benny. God Benny wasn't even involved this time. "I mean really Roger. We're not going there to see Benny. We're going there to see Alison. Besides, Collins said she kicked him out. He doesn't even live there anymore. And it's not like I ever slept with Alison for god sake." 

"That's true." He said, a slight grin spreading across his face.

She saw the grin. "Oh you're sick Roger!" She smacked his arm. "And as far as me sleeping with Benny, Alison would probably appreciate it as much as you if we don't really bring that up." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Now go back to the part about you and Alison." He told her. 

"Oh behave." They rode in silence for awhile. Finally the train pulled in at their stop. Mimi walked them up the steps and just stood at the corner for a moment.

"What?" 

"I'm thinking. It's been awhile since I've been there." 

"Well that's good to know I guess." He told her sarcastically.

She gave him a nasty look before starting down the street. A few blocks later they came up to a building. "That one. There. I remember the entry way."

"Great." He told her unenthusiastically. 

She stopped and spun around, looking him straight in the eyes. "Do you want to help Mark or not?" 

"Of course I do." 

"Then stop acting this way! God Roger I can't take it! I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever slept with Benny. Granted it was months before I ever even met you, but I'm sorry. For then and every other time. But Baby, I love you. I want to be with you. Which should be obvious considering I've put up with your sorry ass for over two years now. But I love Mark too. Like a friend, but I do love him, and it's killing me to see him so depressed, especially knowing this was my fault. God Roger, we have a chance to do something with our pathetic lives. To do something for Mark. Instead of letting him take care of us like he has for so long. Can't you just get over this and do it. If not for me then for Mark?

"I mean what do you think? I'm gonna walk in there and see Benny's old apartment and suddenly go running back to him? Or better yet, see his soon to be ex-wife and think, oh goodie, now that he's almost free and clear I should go after him again? God give me a little credit Roger! I want you, you big dummy! You. And I want Mark to be happy. And if that takes going over there and begging forgiveness from Alison then damn it, that what I'm going to do." 

His eyes went to the ground. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "I trust you, I really do. It's just sometimes, sometimes, I'm still afraid I'm gonna lose you again. And I can't take that." 

"I know Baby." She put her arms around his waist. "But you're not. I'm staying right here with you. But imagine how Mark must feel. It's not fair to him to have to lose Alison either. Do you want him feeling that bad?"

"No, I guess not." He hugged her back. "Come on, let's go." They walked over and the doorman let them into the entryway. 

"Can I help you?" He eyed them up and down. 

"Yes, we're here to see Alison Coffin." Mimi told him in her most serious voice. 

"I see. And is Ms. Coffin expecting you?"

"Ah, no. It's sort of a surprise." Roger told him.

"It's okay, we're old friends of hers. We know the way. Apartment 8C." Mimi told him. 

"Well I can't just let you go up without calling Ms. Coffin first. Whom shall I say is calling?" 

"Ah," Mimi glanced up at Roger, "just tell her it's Roger, Roger Davis. And that it's really important."

"One moment please." He went back over to his desk and picked up the phone. 

This better work. After putting up with all of Roger's crap from this little trip, she better let us in Mimi thought. Please, please let us in.

"Okay, off the elevator and to the left." The doorman told them, pointing towards the elevator. 

They rode up in silence. As they stepped off, Mimi took a deep breath. Please let this work. She walked up to the door holding Roger's hand. With the other she knocked. She realized she was holding her breath as the door opened. 

"Oh."

"Look, I know you don't want to see me, and I'm sorry. But don't punish Mark just because you hate me." Mimi spit the words out quickly before Alison could slam the door in her face.

"What?" She looked up and down the hall. 

"Look Alison, can we talk to you? Please?" Roger asked, giving her his best puppy dog face. 

"Come in." She told them cautiously. 

"I'm know you hate me and I'm sorry. I was young and stupid and he took me out and he treated me better than any other guy ever had, which in retrospect, wouldn't have been that hard, but I'm sorry. I never really thought about it from your side. I mean I was only 18 years old when I met him. I was broke, and hungry and with a bad habit and no where to live. And yes, he got me a place to live, and bought me stuff and gave me money for rehab, and yes I had to sleep with him for all of it."

"Hmfp." Roger snorted. 

Mimi glared at him quickly to shut him up before continuing. "But like I said, I'm sorry. But none of that is Mark's fault. I didn't even know Mark then, much less that Mark knew him. Not till all that other stuff happened. I mean hate me if you want, but Mark didn't do anything. And I can't stand the fact that you're doing this to Mark just because of me." 

"Um, I'm not really sure what to say to all that." Alison said. "I mean I don't hate you. I guess. Not now at least. I mean then, yes, I guess I did, but I got over that. You were barely out of high school. Benny was 25. He knew better. Even if you had thrown yourself at him, he still should have known better. My god you were barely legal. And I knew you had problems. Benny likes people with problems. Especially ones he can solve. It makes him feel important."

"So you don't hate me?" Mimi asked in a small voice.

"No, I guess not."

"Then why won't you call Mark back?" Roger asked. 

"I, I don't know." She moved into the living room and motioned for them to follow her as she sat down on the sofa. "I just couldn't. I'm sorry." 

"Don't tell me you're sorry. Tell Mark." Roger got a little defensive. 

"It's just, I liked him so much. I didn't want to hurt him."

"But honey, he's miserable right now." Mimi told her softly. 

"Oh god. I didn't want that. I just thought this would be easier for him."

"How?" Roger asked sarcastically. 

"Because of you two." 

"Okay, now I'm lost." He told her. 

"Well, you're his best friends. And I'm the woman who used to be married to the bastard that his best friends now hate for everything from kicking them out of their apartments, harassing them, and tying to destroy their relationship just for the sake of being a total ass and the opportunity to one up Roger. That can't be good for a relationship. I knew that. I never should have let it get as far as it did."

"Oh man," Roger let out a small laugh, "this is getting good. Women. And you all say we're the stupid sex!" Both Mimi and Alison just looked at him. "Hey can I have something to drink?"

"Ah, sure. Beer?" Alison asked and Roger nodded as she got up bringing back beers for all of them.

"Okay, so let me see if I got this whole thing straight. You accidentally run into Mark, while looking for Benny. You just happen to sleep with him. A few times. Meanwhile, Mark is killing himself to keep you away from us, and us away from you, but with the exception of that, having one of the best relationships he's ever been involved in. So in the end, we all see each other. And Mimi thinks you hate her because she slept with Benny. And you figure we hate you because you used to be married to Benny. When it actually looks like we were okay with you, and you were okay with us, and the only person none of us really like at this point is Benny!" He laughed. "And poor Mark is sitting home eating cold beef and broccoli all by himself, and you know who's fault this is? Benny's!" He laughed.

"God I feel a lot better." He shook his head triumphantly. "I love it when it's actually somebody else's fault other than mine for a change. But especially that it's Benny's! This is just too good." Roger realized both the girls were just looking at him when he finished. Slowly he saw them start to grin. 

"Oh god, Roger's right." Mimi laughed. "It is all Benny's fault." 

Alison let out a little laugh. "Welcome to my world. Everything is Benny's fault."

"See I knew I liked you back when I first met you. Never could understand what you were doing with Benny though." Roger told Alison who let out a little laugh. "But then again I could never understand what anyone was ever doing with Benny though."

"Roger behave." Mimi told him under her breath.

"Yes Roger, behave." Alison told him, running her fingers through her hair. "Oh god I'm an idiot! Here I thought I was doing Mark this big favor. Ending our relationship so as not to screw up his relationship with you guys. And he sounded so sad on my machine." 

"He is sad." Mimi told her. "Pathetically sad. Do like him Alison?" 

"Yes. A lot. He's sweet and wonderful and kind and funny." 

"All things Benny's not." Roger pointed out before being shot with daggers that flew from Mimi's eyes. "Sorry." 

"No, you're right. At least now. I mean he didn't used to be this way. But that's beside the point. What do I do about Mark?" She asked them. 

"Well, if you care about him, talk to him." Mimi told her. "But first can we all just establish, for Mark's sake, that we're all okay with each other, no issues."

"Yes." Alison laughed. "Like I said, I got over blaming you a long time ago. Especially after I found out you weren't the first one he cheated on me with. Or the last. You were just the one he got caught with."

"Good. And like I said, I'm really sorry. It never occurred to me to think about it from your side of things. But as far as everything else, we never blamed you. All that stuff that happened with the building, we all knew that was Benny. And Roger and I have come to terms with our own Benny issues." 

"Good." Alison said as both she and Mimi turned to look at Roger. 

"What? I'm the only one here that never slept with Benny. I've got no issues." 

"Oh please!" Mimi laughed. "You've got no issues!" She said in a mock tone. "But right now Roger, we're talking about Mark!"

**********

Mark was still lying on the couch flipping channels when the loft door opened. He heard Roger and Mimi come in, but didn't bother to even sit up. 

"Hey Marky." Roger called to him. 

"Hey." Mark mumbled back from the couch, still staring at the TV.

"So um, Mimi and I are back. From our errand."

"Great." He mumbled again, getting annoyed by Roger's overly cheeriness.

"Don't you want to know what it was?" 

"Sure." He told him, but he still did sit up from his spot on the couch, facing the TV. 

"Hi." She said softly.

"Alison!" He sat up, knocking over the rest of the rice from his dinner. "What are you doing here? With them? Together?"

"Roger and Mimi came to see me. We talked. All of us. And, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me?" She sat down on the couch next to him. "I just thought, never mind what I though. Just, I'm sorry."

"But, but… You, and them?" He asked confused as he turned to Roger and Mimi, who were grinning like idiots by the kitchen. 

"Like I said we talked. We worked through some stuff." She smiled back at them. 

"What? How? You guys? All together?" He just kept asking questions. 

"Mark!" Roger yelled at him. "Shut up and kiss her!" 

And he did. 

__

The End.


End file.
